The present invention relates in one aspect to a clipper for removing unwanted plants wherein an herbicide is dispensed immediately on the freshly cut stem in order to kill the roots of the plant and prevent the plant from re-growing. The present invention also can be used for dispensing other treatment chemicals, such as fungicide or anti-bacterial chemicals, on a cut plant stem or branch.
The growth of undesired plants, including young bushes and trees, in a garden or elsewhere is a continuous problem. The customary way of eliminating such vegetation is to cut it off as close to the ground as possible. Many times, however, this does not kill the plant. The plant instead develops new shoots. In addition, many plants propagate by tuberous roots and thus continue to spread and send up shoots in a number of locations.
Another method for removing unwanted vegetation is to apply an herbicidal chemical to the vegetation. This is most often done by spray, although it can be accomplished by applying the herbicide directly to the leaves of the plant. A spray presents problems because a spray is not easily restricted to one plant but can drift and contact desired vegetation as well as undesired vegetation. Also, application of an herbicide to the leaves of a plant by spray or otherwise is generally of maximum effectiveness only when plants are rapidly growing and is of lesser effect in drier seasons and when plant growth has stalled.
Combination clippers and chemical dispensers have been developed to apply a plant treatment chemical or an herbicide by means of the clippers, either by applying the chemicals to the clipper blades or by spraying the chemicals in the direction of the fresh cut stem. While a spray may work satisfactorily to some extent for a beneficial treatment chemical, a more precise application is desirable for an herbicide. A more precise application is also desirable for treatment chemicals such as fungicide and anti-bacterial agents.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved combination clipper chemical applicator for vegetation, particularly discrete plants, wherein an appropriate amount of herbicide or other chemical is squirted directly on the cut in the stem but not on non-selected vegetation.